Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Interrupting Chicken” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Interrupting Chicken

(Interrupting Chicken #1)

David Ezra Stein

4.21 · Rating details · 15,863 ratings · 1,384 reviews

Awarded a 2011 Caldecott Honor!

A favorite joke inspires this charming tale, in which a little chicken’s habit of interrupting bedtime stories is gleefully turned on its head.

It’s time for the little red chicken’s bedtime story —and a reminder from Papa to try not to interrupt. But the chicken can’t help herself! Whether the tale is HANSEL AND GRETEL or LITTLE RED RIDING HO ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 40 pages

Published August 10th 2010 by Candlewick Press

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Interrupting Chicken, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Interrupting Chicken

Lists with This Book

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Favorite Funny Story Time Picture Books

251 books — 218 voters

The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone

Picture Books That Break the "Fourth Wall"

186 books — 103 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.21 ·

Rating details

· 15,863 ratings · 1,384 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Interrupting Chicken

Aug 20, 2019 Calista rated it liked it

Shelves: award-caldecott, series, genre-comedy, genre-fantasy, series-will-not-finish, want-to-own, award-various, bage-children, 2010

This story is cute and it reminds me of the nephew. A father is trying to read the little Hen a bedtime story, which is something I do too, and the little Hen keeps interrupting the story because she knows it. Both, the nephew and the niece, but mostly the nephew have this issue. If it’s a good story, they get involved and they have to interrupt the story to ask a question or make a comment. Unless it’s a slow biography story that bores them to sleep, but still, a question will creep up.

The fat ...more

flag 33 likes · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2020 Dave Schaafsma rated it really liked it

Shelves: picturebooks

A 2011 Caldecott Honor book that I read primarily because I saw it on Calista's site, though she gave it only 3 stars, and then confirmed that it would be the kind of title Melki would read (and it is; I look to Melki for the best--oddest, most startling, funniest--titles, when I need that kind of fix.

I like surprising picture books and this kinda was; a chicken Dad (ok, rooster), is trying to get his kid (ok, chicken, though not to say chick) to go to sleep, reading to him book after book which ...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Nov 29, 2010 Mir rated it really liked it

Shelves: picture

Aww, Little Chicken wants to save the characters in her books from their own stupidity!
I sympathize. ...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Colby Sharp rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, character

Loved this book. I thought it would be fun to try and do something funny (it never works when I try to be funny) for this revi-Out jumped a little red chicken, and she said, "Get off Goodreads and grade some math papers."

Little red chicken is probably right, but grading/planning math is never as much fun as checking twitter and goodre-Out jumped a little red chicken, and she said, "Dude, you really need to vacuum the floors. Seriously get off the computer."

Wow, not sure if this review is working ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2021 Chasity rated it it was amazing

Shelves: early-readers, 5-star

My kids are entertained by this book no matter how many times we read it and I can understand why! Stein has created a clever way to make you love this cute little interrupting chicken and his Papa at bedtime.
Children that get bedtime stories read to them can totally relate to Chicken. I know I’ve been in Papa’s seat a good many times.
And what better stories to be reading than fairy tales! So much fun to think about all of those other stories within and even more fun when they’re interrupted!
I ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2011 Sarah BT rated it liked it

Shelves: picture-books

This is a cute little story, but I had a couple of problems with it. Interrupting Chicken was a Caldecott Honor Book this year so I think I was expecting some amazing artwork. And while the illustrations are good, they didn't really stand out to me and say "yes, this is a Caldecott Honor!" I did like the varying illustrations to alternate between little chicken and her father and the storybooks they're reading. And the author/illusrator does a good job of expressing emotions in Papa chicken's ey ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Aug 11, 2010 Donalyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ncbla-committee-2011-books, primary-picture-books

When animals appear on a book cover, you can predict a lot about the book. If there's a dog on the cover, get the tissue. If a chicken's on the cover, you know the book is funny. I am not sure why we find chickens so amusing, but Interrupting Chicken will make you laugh and remind you of how funny children can be, too. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2014 Kelly rated it really liked it

Shelves: picture-books

I've met this chicken, I've tried to read to this chicken, and yep it went about the same for me. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2016 Agnė rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children, fantasy, humor, animals, for-class, picturebook, fiction, fairy-tales, favorites

4.5 out of 5
I simply loved the story, the illustrations, the COLORS. However, I cannot get over the fact that the chicken that clearly looks like a little rooster is actually a SHE! Sorry, but hens don't have tails like that! ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 17, 2018 Melki rated it really liked it

Shelves: feathered-friends, kidstuff

Little Red Chicken keeps interrupting his father's bedtime stories by shouting out warnings to the fictional characters. I'm pretty sure this he's the kid who was sitting behind me at the movies a few nights ago. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2018 Sylvester rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018, humor, children-s, animals, squirt

3* art
3* story

A little young for Squirt, but I had to read it to him because he is the Master Of Interrupting. He thought the chicken was funny, but he didn't get the joke on him at all. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Mar 02, 2011 Katie Fitzgerald rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011, format-picture-books, audience-children

In Interrupting Chicken, the 2011 Caldecott Honor book by David Ezra Stein, a chicken and her Papa sit down to read a series of classic fairy tales before it's time to go sleep. Chicken promises not to interrupt the stories, but then proceeds to do so time and again, unable to help herself. When she finally settles down, Papa reverses the roles by falling asleep and interrupting the last story with his snoring.

When I was reading this, I focused mostly on the art, since that's what won the award, In Interrupting Chicken, the 2011 Caldecott Honor book by David Ezra Stein, a chicken and her Papa sit down to read a series of classic fairy tales before it's time to go sleep. Chicken promises not to interrupt the stories, but then proceeds to do so time and again, unable to help herself. When she finally settles down, Papa reverses the roles by falling asleep and interrupting the last story with his snoring.

When I was reading this, I focused mostly on the art, since that's what won the award, and once I started looking carefully at the illustrations, I realized how truly brilliant they are.

The title page draws us into the story with a spread showing a quiet and empty house, with low lamps burning, and various items left lying around, illustrating how Chicken and Papa must have spent their day. This picture is warm and homey and felt very realistic to me. Especially impressive is the way Stein uses light to indicate that night has fallen, and that the house is dark and quiet.

On the verso side of that first page, there is one full page of gorgeous green wallpaper, followed on the recto side by a field of white with one circle in the center. Inside that circle, Papa helps Chicken into her pajamas. Over the next few pages, the reader is drawn in closer and closer to the bed - the white space surrounding the images slowly disappears with each page turn, until the entire page is filled with color, and it feels like the reader is all tucked in along with Chicken.

From here, we zoom in even further and settle on the pages of the book as Papa starts to read. The pages themselves have lots of neat details, including food particles and other objects left behind in the crevices. Papa begins reading the standard fairy tale texts, but each time, Chicken explodes onto the pages with warnings for the stories' characters. When this happens, the old fashioned looking illustrations within the fairy tales react to Chicken with annoyance, and rearrange themselves on the page to accommodate her outbursts. She keeps promising not to interrupt, but keeps it up anyway as they attempt to read Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood, and Chicken Little. In the end, Chicken ends up writing her own story, with amazingly child-like crayon illustrations, and truly realistic misspellings, such as "Chikn."

In addition to being visually appealing, this book fills the need for more picture books featuring fathers and daughters, and especially fathers reading to their kids. It would make a nice father's day read for families, and maybe even a nice gift for fathers, since the humor here will appeal easily to adults as well as children. David Ezra Stein's other picture books include: Pouch, Leaves, Monster Hug!, The Nice Book, Cowboy Ned and Andy, and Ned's New Friend. His website can be found at davidezra.com. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 19, 2013 Suzanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: libs-642

Little Red Chicken has trouble hearing a whole bedtime story without interrupting her Papa Chicken right at the good part. When he gives up and allows her to tell the story, guess who ends up interrupting with some snores?
This book would be a fun way to introduce writing concepts for fiction including the importance of conflict and resolution.
The stories her papa uses are familiar to her so Little Red Chicken interrupts at every critical point with her own resolution designed to prevent any str ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2015 Kathy rated it liked it

Shelves: fairy-tales

Am I the only one who thinks that Interrupting chicken needs clear and consistent consequences? Lol! Just saying...

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 22, 2016 Kit Pang rated it really liked it

The chicken should have been a boy!

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 18, 2016 Stephanie Calhoun rated it it was amazing

Shelves: picture-books

This is a fantastic book to use when teaching students about classroom discussion etiquette.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 06, 2021 Tamar overwhelmed by work, but forging on.... rated it liked it

Big disappointment for me....Maybe if I had heard Peter Falk read the story and watch the fairytale unfold on film, I might have been more gracious. I don't think my grandchildren are going to love this, but I'll give it a try once the Corona virus gets under control ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 14, 2021 SheAintGotNoShoes rated it really liked it

Adorable. Reminds me of me !! I probably enjoyed it more now at age 60 then I would have when I was 5.

As they say, and I really believe, good children's books should entertain adults and if they don't, well...........they probably aren't very good.

🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓 ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 07, 2015 Kathryn Dykes rated it really liked it

Shelves: caldecott-award-winning, fantasy

Plot summary & personal response: Interrupting chicken is a delightful children’s book with playful illustrations, which is simply written but enjoyable for everyone. Little red chicken can't wait to hear bedtime stories from her Papa, but her enthusiasm and excitement interrupt the adventurous tales of Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, & Chicken Little, as the characters find themselves drawing near to trouble. Little red chicken quickly jumps into the stories to save the day, leaving he Plot summary & personal response: Interrupting chicken is a delightful children’s book with playful illustrations, which is simply written but enjoyable for everyone. Little red chicken can't wait to hear bedtime stories from her Papa, but her enthusiasm and excitement interrupt the adventurous tales of Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, & Chicken Little, as the characters find themselves drawing near to trouble. Little red chicken quickly jumps into the stories to save the day, leaving her Papa frustrated and little chicken wide awake. In the end little chicken creates her very own goodnight story for Papa, which is then interrupted by Papa's snoring! Little chicken lovingly tucks her Papa in, snuggles up close, and falls fast asleep.

Literary Merit: This enjoyable picture book reflects and supports insight of human behavior by putting an amusing twist on the exhausting struggle many parents have of putting their kids to bed at night. Many children can relate to the excitement and anticipation that comes along with reading stories, waiting for the thrill of the climax, similar to that of little red chicken. Little red chicken’s personality has similar characteristics to that of a real child, “Oh, Papa. I couldn’t let that little chicken get all upset over an acorn! Please read me one more story, and I promise I’ll fall asleep”, instantly making her likable and heartening. The colorful illustrations and easy to read text makes this book perfect for young children as a good night story or just for a fun read.

Genre: Interrupting Chicken can clearly be defined as a children’s fantasy picture book. The detailed illustrations and use of contrasting colors between the pages draws the reader in. The illustrator carefully designed the pages to show the difference between settings; making it easy to distinguish when little red chicken was being read the fairy-tales of her favorite books and when she was interrupting them. The attention to detail within the pictures makes this book well deserving of the Caldecott Honor. The reader can almost feel the emotions of little red chicken’s enthusiasm and Papa’s frustration through the artwork.

Reader’s Response/Classroom Connections: This book would make the perfect introduction for the first read aloud within a classroom on characteristics of a good audience, suitable for Kindergarten- 2nd grade. After reading Interrupting Chicken, the class as a whole can list qualities they should practice when listening to a story or when others are talking, such as using listening ears, eyes on speaker, do not interrupt, sit quietly, etc. The teacher can record the input from the class on a large anchor chart, which can then be hung for the students to refer to as needed. This helps give the class some general guidelines of what is excepted when the focus should be on the teacher and makes the students feel included in developing the environment of the class.
Another activity that could be incorporated into the classroom is for the students to create a comparison list between Interrupting Chicken and a Respectful Student (themselves). The teacher could provide a simple worksheet with characteristics that an “Interrupting Chicken” would possess, then on the other the students would write down what they think an appropriate response would look like. An example of this may look like: Interrupting Chicken- Yells out an answer while a friend is trying to think about their answer; Respectful Student- Waits until teacher has called on you before speaking. This activity would help reinforce a positive classroom environment, build upon their writing skills, and learn how to compare/contrast.
...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 18, 2011 Cassie rated it liked it

Shelves: picturebooks, chickens, preschool

I was told to be on the look out for this book - from several people. It's bedtime and Papa wants to read little red chicken a story. Papa tries three different stories and each time little red chicken cannot help herself - she must jump right in there and participate in the story, i.e. interrupt. For example, while her poor father is in the middle of reading Little Red Riding Hood, little red chicken must interrupt the story with a big ole "Don't talk to strangers!" aimed right at Little Red Ri I was told to be on the look out for this book - from several people. It's bedtime and Papa wants to read little red chicken a story. Papa tries three different stories and each time little red chicken cannot help herself - she must jump right in there and participate in the story, i.e. interrupt. For example, while her poor father is in the middle of reading Little Red Riding Hood, little red chicken must interrupt the story with a big ole "Don't talk to strangers!" aimed right at Little Red Riding Hood. This is an excellent story for sharing aloud or reading together at bedtime. It would be a great addition to a storytime on manners, chickens, or even behavior. But can I talk about the one little, itty, bitty, tiny bit of the story that really bothers me?!?! Please???

Through the entire story little red chicken is referred to using female pronouns. Look at her! She's a rooster! Roosters are boys! Which means, she should be a HE!

Ok, I am a librarian - I do not know a heck of a lot about roosters or chickens, so I thought I would do some research. The three things about little red that bother me are: the big crest, the big wattle, and the long green tail feathers. When you have those three things, you have a rooster. Yes, yes, I know - female red chickens can have a crest and wattle too, though they are typically much smaller and red hens do not have long, green, tail feathers. (see "The Little Red Hen")

I know, there's artistic license and all that stuff, but really, doesn't little red look like a boy rooster? Am I missing some deeper joke? Help!!! I suppose if she was missing one of the nagging elements, it wouldn't bother me so much... maybe. To be honest though, it probably would. Picture books are usually a great teaching tool - but only when they are accurate.

I know that kids are really not going to care. They are going to hear this fun loving story about a father and daughter at bedtime and want to hear it again and again... It really is a fantastic story, and so fun to read aloud, but can't we just be somewhat accurate in the illustrations?!? Please? Thanks for listening to my rant - or totally ignoring it :) Everyone is entitled to their own opinion!

***Edited to add: What was the Caldecott committee thinking?!?
...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 28, 2014 Heidi-Marie rated it liked it

Shelves: picture-books, fiction, preschool-storytime-prep, preschool-storytime-read, children-0-12

Very fun. A perfect one to try in storytime. I enjoyed the pictures. Lots of possibilities for voices in this. Perfect choice for a PJ storytime because of the going to bed aspect. Fabulous for a lap-read at night or even before a nap.

10/8/14 I had a ton of fun reading this. They seemed to be into it and liked when the chicken interrupted. Adults liked it, too. Because I had a younger crowd, I decided to do a quick summary of each original tale so they could remember how it was supposed to go a ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

May 06, 2011 Kathryn rated it really liked it

Here is the story of a little chicken who is so enthusiastic about bedtime stories they hardly lull her to sleep. Her father is happy to read her stories but asks her to please remember not to interrupt and to try to fall asleep. But when familiar stories (Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood and Little Red Hen) are read, the little chicken can't help bursting into the story with a quicker and happier solution to the problems at hand. What will happen when an exasperated and very tired father trie ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2017 Amy Layton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: picturebooks

This book is SO fun and absolutely perfect for a bedtime story. It's a book within a book--the "inner" book being the one Chicken's father is reading to him, but even the characters within that inner book react whenever Chicken interrupts! I love the art style and how metafictive it is (I'm always a sucker for metafiction). It's just so funny and sweet at the end, and it's certainly a great pick for children--especially those who like to interrupt!

Review cross-listed here! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 18, 2010 Krista the Krazy Kataloguer rated it liked it

Shelves: own-ebook, read-caldecott, read-childrens-books

A 2011 Caldecott Award honor book. Papa can never finish reading a story to Chicken, because she keeps interrupting and finishing the story for him. What is he to do? I'm sure there are parents out there with this same problem. This is a good book to teach kids the meaning of "interruption". I didn't care for the artwork much, which is why I gave it 3 instead of 4 stars. We read it to the pre-schoolers in our last storytime, and they loved it. Recommended. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2011 Dianna rated it really liked it

Papa chicken tries to read his daughter a succession of bedtime fairy tales, but the little chicken keeps interrupting to fix the characters' mistakes, give them an immediate happy ending, and drastically shorten the story. Finally Papa asks the little red chicken to tell him a story . . . and he finds it rather soporific.

I liked the story and how engaging it was when read out loud. This is a great time to use your voices. I didn't love the illustrations; they're just not to my taste. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2019 Mely rated it it was amazing

Shelves: picture-books

This book is hilarious. I think it makes for a very fun read aloud. Little chicken is a hoot. The author did a great job illustrating the story especially with the illustrated book excerpts. This book literally made me laugh out loud.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2011 Ms. B rated it really liked it

Shelves: honor, picture, 2011

Very funny - I look forward to seeing more books by David Ezra Stein in the future!
A knowledge of Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and Chicken Little will make this even more enjoyable.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 13, 2017 Jenny rated it it was amazing

We all want our students (and children) to be just like the interrupting chicken! Totally into the book, discussing the story, and even making up their own. Great book!!!

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2017 Casandria rated it really liked it

Shelves: c-story-time, camp-read, b-story-time, school-aged-readers, s-story-time, picture, preschool

Great fun--I love the little red chicken's expressions, and also her sense of injustice! Fun for a school aged story time about chickens, bedtime, or stories. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2020 Sheila rated it it was amazing

Shelves: me-approved, graphic-novel-picture-book, favorites, need-the-physical, libby

This + the audiobook = EXTRAORDINARY COMFORTING READ IN THESE HARD TIMES ❤❤❤

So funny, so pure, so amusing. A new favorite❤

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
MCC Children's Li...: Have New Books!	1	1	Mar 13, 2012 12:52PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Videos About This Book

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein Book Trailer

1 comment

In the Studio: David Ezra Stein on Interrupting Chicken

Add a comment

Genres

Childrens > Picture Books

951 users

Childrens

186 users

Animals

135 users

Humor

134 users

Fiction

78 users

Childrens > Storytime

72 users

Fantasy

53 users

Fantasy > Fairy Tales

50 users

Family

47 users

Fairy Tales > Fractured Fairy Tales

21 users

See top shelves…

About David Ezra Stein

David Ezra Stein

95 followers

David Ezra Stein is an author-illustrator whose previous books include LEAVES, winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. He lives in Kew Gardens, New York.